The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to a dispensing mechanism and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a dispensing mechanism and an associated cartridge.
Preparations for use on the skin tend to dry out or lose their effectiveness after a certain amount of time and need to be reapplied. However, in the middle of outdoor activities, in particular sports, it is unlikely that people will remember to reapply and even if they do, it is often very inconvenient to stop in order to do so, or a container with the substance may not be readily available.
The substances may be any pharmaceutical, dermatological, cosmetic or other substance that is applied, and of particular interest are any substance that is applied at regular intervals.
Generally, at the time of reapplication, the user, especially an active user, may not have the substance to hand and may not wish or may not be in a position to interrupt the current activity in order to reapply the substance.
One particular product for application to the skin is sunscreen. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer during the course of their lives, according to figures from the American Skin Cancer Foundation.
Athletes in outdoor sports, children and adults engaged in outdoor activities, soldiers and outdoor labourers are all prone to long periods of exposure to the sun during exercise, fun and work and need an easy way to reapply sunscreen, for example every 60-80 minutes to protect their skin.
Experiments conducted with many products, including sunscreen, show that when a product is in sight, easily accessible and within reach, people use the product more often.
Larger, international brands have recognized the need of sunscreen for active users. Piz Buin, Blockband and Myozone have created sunscreen wristbands/holders—however they are bulky, not stylish, and are largely impractical for everyday use.
Zinka, Shiseido, Vertra, Headhunters, and other companies sell facial sun block sticks small enough to place in your pocket. However, sunblock sticks are not within sight, are virtually impossible to apply in an even manner to the face and are impossible to use while engaged in sports. None of these solve the practical problem of reapplication.